NEWS

News Feb-25-2019

Week 5 Awards: San Diego Legion vault to the summit with complete team performance and Brock Staller headlines Seawolves’ attack

MLR announces Player, Team and First XV of Week 5

Salt Lake City, UT; February 25, 2019: San Diego Legion scored more and conceded fewer than any other side this week in their 45-17 win over Austin Elite Rugby, with their complete team performance earning them Week 5 Team of the Week. Barnstorming Brock Staller of the Seattle Seawolves was too much for the RUNY defense, breaking free for two tries and totaling 18 points to secure Player of the Week.

The San Diego Legion win over Austin Elite Rugby marks a fourth straight victory, which vaults them to the top of the league standings with 18 points. The Legion’s staunch defense continues to be the team’s calling card, limiting Austin to 17 points and repeatedly pressuring the opposition into offensive penalties. San Diego has conceded just five tries total in the last four matches. Complementing their defensive prowess was a six-try offensive masterclass, four tries coming before halftime. After being held to two tries in each of their previous four games, the San Diego set piece controlled possession and kept the whole team involved in the attack, with six different players scoring tries. The Legion’s 45 points are the most points scored by a team this season.

Brock Staller’s speed swung a close, competitive match in the Seattle Seawolves’ favor over 20 crucial minutes. The 26-year-old wing’s first try came opportunistically, as he collected a fumble and ran 70 meters to close out the half, giving the Seawolves a 26-14 advantage. In the 56th minute, Staller outstripped the RUNY defense in pursuit of a Ben Cima kick and touched down for the try, taking the score to 33-14. In addition to his two tries, Staller went 4 for 5 from the kicking tee.

MLR’s First XV of Week 5:

Loosehead Prop (No. 1), Rob Brouwer, Toronto Arrows

Hooker (No. 2), Chad Gough, Glendale Raptors

Tighthead Prop (No. 3), Paddy Ryan, San Diego Legion

Lock (No. 4), Ben Mitchell, Austin Elite

Lock (No. 5), Brad Tucker, Seattle Seawolves

Blindside Flanker (No. 6), Kyle Sumsion, Rugby United New York

Openside Flanker (No. 7), Devin Short, San Diego Legion

No. 8, Ross Deacon, Rugby United New York

Scrum-half (No. 9), Nate Augspurger, San Diego Legion

Fly-half (No. 10), Sam Malcolm, Toronto Arrows

Wing (No. 11), Malacchi Esdale, Houston SaberCats

Inside Center (No. 12), Gannon Moore, Utah Warriors

Outside Center (No. 13), Dan Moor, Toronto Arrows

Wing (No. 14), Brock Staller, Seattle Seawolves

Fullback (No. 15), Mat Turner, Seattle Seawolves

ABOUT MLR

MLR is a professional rugby league launched in April of 2018. It’s an initiative of the American rugby community, in partnership with private investors, who believe that American rugby can thrive at the highest levels: as a commercial enterprise; as an influential player on the international scene; and as a participation sport at the youth and senior level. MLR will be the pinnacle of American rugby, and provide a rallying point for local communities, a focal point for American rugby fans, and an aspirational destination for young athletes.

The teams competing in MLR Season 2 are Austin Elite, Glendale Raptors, Houston SaberCats, New Orleans Gold, San Diego Legion, Seattle Seawolves, Utah Warriors plus new additions Rugby United New York and Toronto Arrows. Agreements are already in place to add at least a further three teams from major North American markets for Season 3.